All Posts from April 5, 2019

Midwestern BioAg – Management Brief

Management Briefs

Midwestern BioAg, Madison, Wisc., has hired Kevin Kimm as CEO. He is The Mosaic Co.’s former Vice President of International Distribution and New Product Development. He also has experience with Syngenta and Novartis.

The company said Kimm, a 25-year veteran in sales, marketing, and product development, will lead it as it expands the reach of TerraNu technology to key markets across the United States. While Kimm was at Mosaic, the company noted that he led marketing and product development activities, including directing an initiative that grew the MicroEssentials brand into one of the company’s highest-selling fertilizers.

“Kevin is a proven leader in the ag industry,” said Sanjeev Krishnan, a board member and Managing Director and Chief Investment Officer of S2G Ventures. “The timing is right to bring in his expertise in product development and marketing, especially with the launch of our TerraNu product line. We look forward to partnering with Kevin to expand Midwestern BioAg’s reach.”

“I couldn’t be more thrilled about joining the Midwestern BioAg team,” said Kimm. “Soil health, nutrient use efficiency, and sustainability are crucial in agriculture, and Midwestern BioAg is already a proven leader in this area. The TerraNu line of products is a game-changer for the fertilizer industry; growers are seeing great value. It is the only homogenized, carbon-based fertilizer in the industry, and it has shown a positive crop response in more than 80 percent of the trials. It is one more tool for our customers to improve soil health, increase yield performance, and – ultimately – profitability.”

Anthony Michaels, Ph.D., Midwestern BioAg’s CEO since 2014, will continue to be involved, both supporting Kimm and leading a new effort in organic farming.

“Success requires that we have the right people in the right roles at the right time,” said Dr. Michaels. “Kimm is the right leader for this company as we grow and deliver the benefits of TerraNu to the broader agriculture community.”

 

Crop Management Network Acquires Performance Ag Group; New Liquid Plant Opens in Alberta

Alberta, Featured, News

Performance Ag Group, a retail operation in Alberta with two locations at Calmar and Evansburg, is being acquired by the Crop Management Network (CMN), a joint venture comprised of local employee owners and partnered with Agrico Canada. With eight existing locations, CMN is Alberta’s largest retail network.

“When the opportunity to acquire Performance Ag Group was presented to us, we were very excited,” said James Mitchell, CEO of CMN. “The business has great people and the geography fits into our footprint. CMN can further utilize our best-in-class assets to provide the customers in these geographies with CMN’s customer-driven, innovative, and agronomy-focused service.”

Mike Mueller, General Manager of Performance Ag’s Calmar and Evansburg locations, will remain in that position and become an employee owner of CMN. “I am pleased that the Crop Management Network has recognized the importance of this business and the customers we serve,” said Mueller. “With them on board, we will be able to grow our product and service offering to our customers and be an integral part of their business.”

Performance Ag has been in business under different names for more than 30 years, and has seven full-time employees, all of whom will be transitioning to CMN. The original business was started in 1988 as McDonald Agri Services. The company was purchased in 2005 by Harold Ziebel, and rebranded as Har-De Agri Services. The business then underwent a rebrand in 2017 to become Performance Ag Group.

The conditional agreement, which was first announced on March 6, has not yet been concluded, but Mitchell told Green Markets that closing is expected by the second week of April. Ziebel will be retiring at the conclusion of the sale.

Performance Ag serves growers in west-central Alberta with a range of products and services, including granular and liquid fertilizer, canola and forage seed, herbicides, insecticides, and fungicides. The fertilizer products handled by the company include urea, UAN-28, MAP, 10-34-0, potash, 20.5-0-0-24 sulfur, elemental sulfur, and granular and foliar micronutrients.

CMN has existing locations at Camrose, Daysland, Edberg, Fort Saskatchewan, Holden, Vegreville, Stettler, and Kelsey. CMN also operates an integrated logistics company, Crop Management Logistics Inc., which allows it to source products efficiently and provide timely service to its customers and retail locations.

CMN announced the completion of a new liquid fertilizer plant on March 19 at its Stettler facility. The company said the new plant can take delivery by truck or rail, and will allow CMN to provide “consistent availability” of liquid nitrogen, phosphate, and sulfur. The new plant joins CMN’s existing liquid storage facilities at Vegreville, Kelsey, and Edberg.

Shirley Touts Revolutionary New Technology, Forms Company for Further Development

News, News Briefs, Specialty

Longtime industry veteran Ray Shirley, the founder and chairman of Applied Chemical Technologies (ACT), Florence, Ala., has announced the discovery of a new technology that he said is a significant breakthrough in the early life cycle of plants and crops by acting as a growth enhancer.

Shirley said test results indicate that the combination of nutrients, some presently not recognized by the fertilizer world, lead to early and sustained plant and root growth. He said through four years of testing with rice, the technologies demonstrated sustained growth that resulted in extended plant life (up to two weeks), increased yields of more than 50 percent, and increased grain protein levels of more than 12 percent. He said the yield increases do not require application of elevated levels of traditional fertilizer since the technologies improve the efficiency of the fertilizers used.

Shirley said the technologies also impact corn, wheat, and cotton, as well as other crops. He said the growth enhancing components are low cost, nontoxic, biodegradable, and readily available in large supply worldwide.

Shirley has formed a new company, Innovations for World Nutrition (IFWN), Florence, to focus on the development and commercialization of the technology. IFWN is currently seeking strategic partners. For more information, see IFWNglobal.com.

Shirley, who has a nearly 60-year career in the fertilizer development business, got his start at Monsanto and spent 15 years at TVA’s National Fertilizer Development Center (NFDC) before starting ACT in 1981. While Shirley remains involved with ACT, which has been known for its development and commercialization of slow-release fertilizers, he will now shift his main focus to IFWN and this new discovery.

Midwestern BioAg – Management Brief

Management Briefs, Specialty

Midwestern BioAg, Madison, Wisc., has hired Kevin Kimm as CEO. He is The Mosaic Co.’s former Vice President of International Distribution and New Product Development. He also has experience with Syngenta and Novartis.

The company said Kimm, a 25-year veteran in sales, marketing, and product development, will lead it as it expands the reach of TerraNu technology to key markets across the U.S. While Kimm was at Mosaic, the company noted that he led marketing and product development activities, including directing an initiative that grew the MicroEssentials brand into one of the company’s highest-selling fertilizers.

“Kevin is a proven leader in the ag industry,” said Sanjeev Krishnan, a board member and Managing Director and Chief Investment Officer of S2G Ventures. “The timing is right to bring in his expertise in product development and marketing, especially with the launch of our TerraNu product line. We look forward to partnering with Kevin to expand Midwestern BioAg’s reach.”

“I couldn’t be more thrilled about joining the Midwestern BioAg team,” said Kimm. “Soil health, nutrient use efficiency, and sustainability are crucial in agriculture, and Midwestern BioAg is already a proven leader in this area. The TerraNu line of products is a game-changer for the fertilizer industry; growers are seeing great value. It is the only homogenized, carbon-based fertilizer in the industry, and it has shown a positive crop response in more than 80 percent of the trials. It is one more tool for our customers to improve soil health, increase yield performance, and – ultimately – profitability.”

Anthony Michaels, Ph.D., Midwestern BioAg’s CEO since 2014, will continue to be involved, both supporting Kimm and leading a new effort in organic farming.

“Success requires that we have the right people in the right roles at the right time,” said Dr. Michaels. “Kimm is the right leader for this company as we grow and deliver the benefits of TerraNu to the broader agriculture community.”

Merger Forms Smoky Mountain Cooperative

News, News Briefs

The Cocke Farmers Cooperative and Sevier Farmers Cooperative recently merged to form the Smoky Mountain Cooperative, according to the Tennessee Farmers Cooperative (TFC), LaVergne, Tenn. The co-op is now headquartered in Sevierville, and will include existing locations in Newport, Morristown, and White Pine, Tenn., as well as Waynesville, N.C.

Both co-ops have been facing the decline of the tobacco and dairy industries, with Sevier seeing higher land prices due to the growing tourist industry near the mountains. The new co-op, which is one of the owners of TFC, has annual revenues of approximately $25 million.

The new board will initially have nine members, with four from Cocke and five from Sevier. After a two-year term there will be no such restrictions. Smoky Mountain has 2,256 members, with 1,232 from Cocke and 1,204 from Sevier.

Huber Completes Miller Acquisition

News, News Briefs, Specialty

Huber Engineered Materials (HEM), Atlanta, a specialty engineered materials company owned by the J.M. Huber Corp., Edison, N.J., announced on April 1 that it has completed the acquisition of Miller Chemical & Fertilizer LLC, Hanover, Penn., from Dunes Point Capital LP, Rye, N.Y. (GM March 8, p. 1).

Miller, founded in 1937, has nearly 100 employees in Hanover, where it also has a manufacturing operation. Miller said it distributes crop protection and nutritional agrichemical products in more than 90 countries.

Verde AgriTech Plc – Management Brief

Brazil, Management Briefs, Specialty

Verde AgriTech Plc, the producer and marketer of Super Greensand® based in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, reported that it has named Daniel Sabbag as Vice President of Sales. The company said he has 30 years of experience in the agricultural sector, including major companies such as Fertilizantes Heringer SA, Monsanto Co., Bequisa – Degesh Group, and Cargill Inc.

Sabbag most recently spent 14 years in the fertilizer business with Heringer, where he was head of the sales department, overseeing yearly revenues of US$250 million. He was responsible for trade operations throughout Brazil, and led a team of over 30 professionals plus a network of 110 independent sales agents.

Verde said Sabbag led Heringer’s overall expansion as it opened seven new plants. He also oversaw the introduction of new product lines such as premium fertilizers.

Sabbag holds an MBA from Fundação Getúlio Vargas (FGV) and a bachelor’s degree in Agronomic Engineering from ESALQ/ USP, Brazil.

In March, Verde named Felipe Paolucci as CFO. Verde said he is an executive with over 15 years of experience in finance in multinational companies, and over nine years of experience in the agricultural business. He will be based in Belo Horizonte, and replaces Tim Slater, who has acted as the company’s interim CFO for the past few years.

Farmers Business Network – Management Brief

Management Briefs

Farmers Business NetworkSM (FBNSM), San Carlos, Calif., reports that it has hired long-time fertilizer industry veteran David Delaney as Chief Commercial Officer. He will be responsible for scaling FBN’s existing business offerings, and bringing new solutions to FBN members.

“David’s depth of experience from across the ag industry will be invaluable for increasing FBN members’ profitability potential through transparency and new product offerings,” said Amol Deshpande, FBN CEO and Co-Founder. “There’s no one better suited to help us drive our strategy forward and help put Farmers First®.”

Delaney has served as the Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at Potash Corp. of Saskatchewan Inc., now Nutrien Ltd., Saskatoon, where he was responsible for operations across all of PotashCorp’s business segments, including potash, nitrogen, and phosphate. Before his role as COO, Delaney, who is based in Northern Illinois., was the President of Sales for PotashCorp, where he led the global sales functions.

After leaving PotashCorp, Delaney served as a strategic advisor to agricultural investor Paine & Partners, New York City (GM Sept. 9, 2016). He also had a stint as chairman of the short-lived Augusta Sulfate Co. (GM May 26, 2017; Jan. 12, 2018).

Delaney has served as a member of numerous boards of directors, including that of Canpotex Ltd. and Arab Potash Co. He also served as Chairman for industry associations such as the Fluid Fertilization Association and Phosphate Chemicals Export Association, and as Director for the International Plant Nutrition Institute. He currently serves on the Foundation Board for his alma mater, Southern Illinois University, as well as on the board of phosphate producer Itafos, Toronto (GM Jan. 20, 2017).

Intrepid Wins Carlsbad Business of Year Award

News, News Briefs

Intrepid Potash Inc., Denver, reports that its Carlsbad, N.M., operations were recently selected as the 2018 Business of the Year by the United Way of Carlsbad and South Eddy County.

“Intrepid and its employees have supported the great work of the United Way of Carlsbad for many years,” said Robert Baldridge, General Manager, Intrepid New Mexico. “We are proud of the difference our employees make in their community, whether by volunteering for community organizations, donating their time at United Way’s annual Day of Caring event, or making generous charitable contributions.”

Intrepid said it strives to support and enhance the communities in which it operates. To encourage employees to join in these efforts, Intrepid offers all full-time employees three paid volunteer days each year to support a charitable organization of their choosing or participate in an Intrepid-sponsored volunteer project.

Compass Reaches Agreement with Salt Workers

News, News Briefs, Specialty

Compass Minerals, Overland Park, Kan., announced that a new collective bargaining agreement has been ratified by its Cote Blanche mine employees represented by USW Local 14425. The three-year agreement includes pay rate and benefit enhancements to be more consistent with other U.S.-based Compass Minerals employees, as well as features that provide greater operational flexibility for the company.

“This agreement is an important step towards creating sustainable success at the mine and balances the needs of our employees with the interests of our customers and shareholders,” said Don Brumm, Vice President, Operations Cote Blanche mine. “Throughout the entire process, we’ve had productive and respectful dialogue with the union’s bargaining committee, which resulted in a positive outcome for all.”

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